Water-meter box



Nov. 11, 1930. 'A ET AL WATER METER "BOX Filed Jan. 30, 1929 INVENTORS LEO G. HAASE FRANK M. BROOKS BY 77L 7 W.

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 11, 1930 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE LEO G. HAASE AND FRANK M. BROOKS, OF PASADENA,

CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNGRS TO ART CONCRETE \VQRKS, GF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, A CORPGRATION OF CALI-- FORNIA VI'ATER-METER BOX Application filed January 30, 1929. Serial No. 336,220.

This invention relates to improvements in vater meter boxes.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved water meter box having a removable cover seated adjacent thevtop of the box, the box being so constructed that its internal dimensions are not reduced near the seat. In many prior constructions the box has a recessed seat to receive the cover but adjacent thisseat there is usually formed an internal flange tostrengthen the seat. This flange materially reduces the opening in the top of the box when the cover is removed and seriously interferes with the manipulation of wrenches and the like in installing and repairing water meters and valves. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide awater meter box having at its top a seat for a removable cover and having the interior surfaces of its walls substantially straight and which is so constructed that the seat for the cover is sufiiciently strong.

'Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cover for water meter boxes which cover has an aperture adapted to receive a small closure or lid, the closure or lid being adapted to be removed for reading of the meter. The improved cover is so constructed that it is sufiiciently strong near the aperture so that it is not weakened by the formation of the aperture therein. Also the improved cover requires a minimum amount of material and enables a plurality of covers to be easily stacked, one on top of the other, in storing or shipping.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cover for water meter boxes which has one or more recesses formed on its under side through which the swinging edge of are relatively thin.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of water meter box.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 2-2 upon Fig. 1.

. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the box taken substantially upon the line 3-3 upon Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved water meter box is preferably constructed of concrete or equivalent material. In its preferred form the box, generally desi nated at 10 is rectangular in form although it may be given any other suitable shape. At the top of the box the interior upper edge is cut away to form an internal'annular shoulder 11 constituting a seat for the cover 12. As clearly shown on Figs. 2 and 8 the interior the improved faces of the walls of the box extend vertically downwardly and are straight from the inner edge of the seat 11. By this construction it will be appreciated that the interior dimensions of the box are not lessened or decreased near the seat 11. In order to properly strengthen theseat and make it adequately strong and still require a minimum amount of material in the construction of the box the walls of the box 10 are slightly thickened at their tops, i. e. the lower portions of the walls have their exterior surfaces straight and parallel to the interior surfaces so that they The exterior surfaces adjacent the top of the walls,however,bulge outwardly as indicated at 13 and are outwardl and upwardly inclined, thickening the tops of the walls and thus strengthening the seats 11 and also stren thening the portions 1%.

This formation of the exterior surfaces of the walls serves not only to strengthen the seat 11 and the portions 14 but it tends to prevent the box from sinking to an undue extent in a lawn or sidewalk. lVhen the box is recessed in a sidewalk the box is first placed sides of the walls flare upwardly adjacent the seat for the cover a sort of beveled seat is formed in the sidewalk which supports the water meter box preventing its sinking below the level of the sidewalk.

The cover 12 which seats on the seat 11 has an aperture 15 formed therein adapted to receive a removable closure or lid 16 which is adapted to be removed on inspecting or read ing the water meter M. In prior construe tions of a similar nature it has been found that theform'ation or this aperture materially weakens the cover 12 so that the cover in many instances breaks transversely at the aperture. To properly strengthen the cover it is thickened about the aperture, the thickening portion ofthev cover being indicated at 17. This thickening portion extends over approximately two thirds the under side of the cover, forming a depending portion on the under side or" the cover fittingbetween the side walls ofa box 10 and against one or" the end walls. It preferably does not extend over theentire bottom surface of the .cover so that nounnecessary material is required in its construction. The reason for extending it over more than half of the underside of the I cover isto enable a plurality of coversto be stacked, one on top of the other so that they will rest flatly and solidly ontop of each other instoring or shipping. By virtue of the fact that the thickened portion 17 fits between the side walls the cover'te'nds to brace I the side walls and keep them against any tendency to collapse under lateral pressure. On the under side of the coveron opposite sides of the aperture 15 there are formed re- :cesses 18. These recesses are designed to allow the cover C on the water meter to I swing through them. In some prior constructions difficulty has been experienced in completely swinging back the cover C'to'read the water meter M because the cover woulds'wing into engagement with the cover on the water I meter boX. The recesses 18 enable the cover has a novel cover which is strengthened adjacent the aperture which receives the removable lid. At the same time it is so constructed that its strengthening does not interet'er with the entire or complete opening of the cover on the water meter M.

Various changes may be made inthe de- I otconstruction without departing from the splrit or scope of the invention as defined may swing to expose the meter to view.

I 3. Afwater meter box having a cover in: which'thereis an aperture adapted to receive fa'closure or lid, thecover adjacent the aper ture being materially thickened which .is apparent on itsunder side, the under side of the cover having at least one recess adjacent the'aperture through which the top of the cover on a water meter may swing to expose the meter to view.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to thi'ss'pecificatlon;

Laos. Hanan. FRANK M. Roo-Ks- C to swing through either one of them and thus the cover can be completely swung back to read thewater meter. The arrangement cover is thickened adjacent the aperture 15 12 to approach the top of the water meter.v

. From the above described construction'it will be appreciated that a novel water meter box is provided which embodies several improvements. The improved water meter box presents an interior of uniform 'dimensions I enabling the maximum amount of working of the'recesse's is highly important wherethe i 50 'which causes'the bottom surface of the cover room to be present in manipulating wrenches I 7 within the box. At the same time the seat'for the cover 12 is strengthenedsufliciently and the formation otthe' box is such that the strengthening of the seat also prevents the 1 bOX from sinking to an undue extent inthe ground. The improved water meter box also 

